Funders for LGBTQ Issues' new strategic plan sets goal of increasing foundation funding for LGBTQ issues to $200 million by 2017

(New York, NY - May 28, 2015) Funders for LGBTQ Issues' new strategic plan is being publicly unveiled today. The Road Map to $200 Million: The Strategic Plan for Increasing Foundation Funding for LGBTQ Issues, reaffirms Funders for LGBTQ Issues commitment to strategically increasing the scale and impact of philanthropic resources for LGBTQ communities and sets the ambitious goal of increasing foundation funding for LGBTQ issues by more than $70 million (a nearly 55 percent increase) from $129.1 million in 2013 to $200 million in 2017.

The plan calls for increasing the number of grantmakers investing in LGBTQ issues from 331 institutions to 500 institutions. It lays out four paths forward that Funders for LGBTQ Issues will pursue:

Lead efforts to expand funding to improve the lived experience of LGBTQ communities. Of the $50 billion that U.S. foundations award annually, more than two-thirds goes to improving people's lived experience, for aging, arts & culture, economic opportunity, education, health, and youth & family services. LGBTQ people face alarming disparities in all of these areas.

Build local capacity and foster new connections to expand place-based LGBTQ funding. Much of philanthropy is place-based, driven by community foundations, family foundations, and corporations that support their local communities. Place-based philanthropy is essential to building sustainable funding for local nonprofits, which are uniquely positioned to respond to the day-to-day needs of LGBTQ communities.

Collaborate to increase the impact of funding for LGBTQ equality and social justice. The struggle for LGBTQ equality is deeply interwined with the advancement of economic, gender, and racial justice, and the empowerment of all marginalized communities.

Support efforts to expand international funding for LGBTQI communities. The struggle for LGBTQI rights is a global one. In some parts of the world we've made great advances for LGBTQI freedoms, while in others we face criminalization and persecution.

"We see it not only as a plan for our organization, but as a call to action for LGBTQ grantmakers and for the wider philanthropic sector," said Ben Francisco Maulbeck, President of Funders for LGBTQ Issues. "LGBTQ rights have advanced in many areas, yet even greater challenges lie ahead. Now is the time to mobilize resources that match the wide scope of our challenges and the great scale of our dreams."

The report is being publicly launched today to coincide with an editorial by Maulbeck and Cindy Rizzo, the Senior Advisor for Evaluation and Strategy for the Arcus Foundation and chair of the board of Funders for LGBTQ Issues. "Miles to Go on the Path to Full Dignity and Equality for LGBTQ People," is now live on Council on Foundation's RE:Philanthropy Blog.

Funders for LGBTQ Issues is a network of foundations, corporations, and other donors seeking to mobilize philanthropic resources that enhance the well-being of LGBTQ communities, promote equity and advance racial, economic and gender justice.